Guides

The mirrorless camera format is nothing new, with the first commercially viable versions appearing in the early 2000’s with the likes of the Epson R-D1 and Leica M8. These were marketed more as rangefinder type cameras, harking back to the old days, but these early offerings always had problems. Instep the Sony Alpha Series. Sony

Modifying the sources of light around us is the primary job of all photographers. It doesn’t matter if you’re a daylight-only shooter or prefer a complicated, multi-light setup, it’s all about lighting your subjects and scene exactly as you want them. In this regard, there are loads of kits and light modifiers on the market

Answering the question, ‘When Is It Time to Retire a Camera Lens?’ is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string? There are so many factors and variables that dictate if a camera lens is still usable or not. In theory, a camera lens that has been carefully stored and looked after

Prevention is better than cure, as they say. Performing basic camera maintenance on your bodies, lenses, and other pieces of kit goes a long way to keep your gear in tiptop shape. If you use your camera gear on a regular basis, it can be exposed to a lot of different conditions: smoky atmospheres, rain,

Focal length can be a strange concept when your first start out in photography. Those seemingly arbitrary numbers labeled on a lens, usually in millimeters. However, once you learn the principles behind focal length, the information can teach you on a number of levels from how wide-angle or zoomed in your image will look to

Cameras, cameras, cameras. There are so many to choose from, so when it’s time to upgrade your camera, which model is the best option? The first thing you need to decide is if an upgrade is needed. Is your current model worn out? Do you need newer facilities, or do you simply want an upgrade?

Learning the plethora of terms and definitions for any subject area can be an ongoing task. Considering all the areas of photography, there can be a lot to learn, some specific to film and some to digital. We will be dealing with what you could consider as the fundamental terms in photography, rather than other

A memory card used to be a set-and-forget type item in my camera kit. Buy once, plug in and use, then only worry about it once I need more capacity, right? Well, it started to become a concern a few camera upgrades back— with more consideration for multiple card slots in a camera, how much

It seems many digital photographers are under the impression that one needs to use a telescope in order to engage in astrophotography. While that is indeed one excellent way to start imaging the wonders of the night sky, a lot of night sky photography can be accomplished with the equipment you probably already have. Let’s

I have to admit, I was a late starter to the lens filter game. Back in the film days lens filters were the norm, but with the advent of digital it initially felt like all the tricks photo filters could perform could be done in software. Oh, how wrong. It took some time to get

Light painting or painting with light is as old as photography itself. Taking a long exposure while moving a light source around in the frame, creating very artistic and dramatic results should be a trick in every photographer’s arsenal. From Picasso to modern Instagram images – all utilize this technique to great effect and the

Recognizing good light is one of the foundation skills for any photographer. Setting up ideal lighting situations in the studio is one thing, but being able to capture quality, natural light brings its own set of skills. Carrying over lighting set-ups in the studio is going to help a lot with translating things like key

‘Accessorize’ is the name of the game when you own any type of GoPro. There are a few ‘bits’ that come with the camera, but you will soon be wanting for the plethora of add-ons, even inventing ways to use a certain piece of kit (or an excuse to buy something). There’s a huge array

In many ways the terms ‘waterproof’ and ‘camera’ are completely opposite in application. The majority of the time a camera and its owner will react to water like the Wicked witch of the West, but it doesn’t have to be this way with the right equipment (unless your into that green make-up thing.) Today’s waterproof

You may have top-notch lenses and camera bodies, but you still need quality lighting when you’re shooting video. Even if you have ideal lighting outside, you still need accessories to make sure your subjects are lit correctly, just like with stills where a little fill flash can always separate your subject. The problem is that

There are plenty of drones on the market these days that can take stills and video to a high-quality. However, if your needs are more specific or you want to shoot with an instant camera, then you may have to resort to a self build. This approach clearly has its plus and negative points, but

The type of camera kit you travel with can be completely different from equipment used for regular day-to-day photography work. Depending on the job, a variety of equipment from different cameras bodies, lenses and lighting gear lets you choose the appropriate items for shooting a certain subject in a certain scenario. However, when it comes

When deciding what’s the best glass to fit on the front of your camera, one of the main debates is always between prime and zoom lenses. Many times the debate centers around a quality issue. There may be other features to argue upon such as image stabilization, autofocus/manual focus, the different ways you use a

Both the Panasonic S1 and S1R are the new mirrorless full frame cameras from Panasonic which should be available from March 2019 with some very tasty features which include hi resolution modes, HDR and many pro features. The Lumix S1R is aimed at the professional with a 47 megapixel sensor and the S1 having a

Canon makes fantastic telephoto lenses. Sharp, fast and built for everyday use. It’s no wonder they are seen so often out in the wild. In this guide, we will look at the best Canon lenses for wildlife photography at both ends of the price spectrum. General Needs I asked a photographer friend who shoots a

It may seem that smartphones have eaten up the compact camera market in recent years. However, a compact camera still has many advantages over the smart phone, especially if you want to step up in image quality. The compact camera still fits into the niche of those who want good image quality, but don’t want

Battery life, and how much performance we can get out of our devices, is front of mind for everybody these days. Especially important for us photographers is the battery life on our cameras. We’re not quite there yet with battery technology which will allow us to take images all day long, with everything switched on

In 2019 it seems counter intuitive to be considering using film cameras for your imaging needs. Almost like your next car being one with a carburetor and leaf spring suspension. However, with brands such as Kodak producing classic film stock which gives a distinctive look to the images replicated by many smart phone filters to

Photography can become in time a collector’s sport. This meaning, like any endeavor you start acquiring more and more gear over time and start to thinking you need to use it all the time as well. This is especially true when you’ve paid a king’s ransom for a few high-end prime lenses and you must

If you remember the days of film or not, the link between ISO and old school film speed always comes up. It’s an easy way to explain what ISO or how the US standard equivalent ASA works in the digital realm or a simple way to explain digital ISO. However, a direct comparison between the

Keeping all your camera kit secured and safe when traveling is one concern, but the transportation of high-powered lithium-ion batteries is another thing we now have to contend with. We require more power from the same size batteries, which means lithium-ions which we have to power the majority of our cameras also has the potential

When it comes to smartphone cameras, the majority usually use them like point and shoot devices. Nothing wrong with that, but the phones themselves they are becoming ever more sophisticated, so it doesn’t harm to expand your knowledge a little, especially when it comes to knowing the camera’s focal length. All the principles below can

A smart phone combined with a solid photo app can work great for fully automated images, but soon you will want a setup with an individual camera body and lenses. Not just for flexibility, but for better image quality. The best beginner cameras can feel somewhat like their higher end counterparts, but with a simpler feature

The year 2018 brought a few releases which were significant in the camera and lens world. Mirrorless designs are proving ever more popular and lenses which can take advantage of these new designs are now popping up. If you also want to lump in camera accessories and even the latest smartphone cameras, you’ve got quite

Among the hottest current trends for gadgets, technology, and even gifts, is wearable technology. It’s not a fad, like Pet Rocks or Gangnam Style were. I would define a trend as something that picks up rapidly in popularity, but has long-term staying power. Mobile telephones, for instance, were a trend in the late 1980s, and

I have to admit that the slightest thought of taking one of my lenses apart, even un-doing one of the screws, fills me with dread. In that regard, you have to give respect to the guys at LensRentals, especially Roger Cicala who pulls apart a Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L lens for our insight and enjoyment.

Buying a gift for the photographer in your life – whether that’s you or somebody else – can be a harrowing task and if you’re not prepared, very costly. Ask them directly what they want and you will probably get a response like, “a new 400mm lens, please with IS” or “don’t spend much on me,

Wearable technology is the current Next Big Thing. Fitness tracking and other health-related monitoring is one of the primary reasons for the current popularity of smartwatches. In September 2018, Apple Inc. released the latest version in the line of Apple Watches, the Apple Watch Series 4. What Does an Apple Watch Do? Apple Watch Series

If you own a DSLR then you’ll eventually own a bunch of lenses. Which lenses you choose will come down to the subjects you shoot most often and your budget. The initial choices come down to if you own a crop sensor/APS-C or full-frame camera. The recent introduction of the EOS R range of mirrorless

LUMOID is an online magazine that lives at the intersection of the art of photography and the technology that powers it. Our unbiased reviews, industry news, and opinion pieces are designed to inform and inspire the next generation of great photographers.